Indiana Jones 5 Delayed By An Entire Year

Earlier this month it was reported that the fifth movie in the Indiana Jones franchise might miss its 2020 release slot due to a potential production delay. Now it looks as if the movie has moved back a year and will be released in July 2021.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Indiana Jones 5 will now hit theaters on July 9, 2021. The movie was originally set to begin production in the UK in April next year ahead of a Summer 2020 release. However, Solo: A Star Wars Story co-writer Jonathan Kasdan has joined the movie, to work on the script with Jurassic Park's David Koepp, pushing the shoot date back. Kasdan is the son of Lawrence Kasdan, who co-wrote the the first Indy movie, 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Indiana Jones 5 will be directed by Steven Spielberg, who helmed all the previous films, with Harrison Ford reprising his role as the iconic archaeologist. Last year, Koepp provided a few clues as to the direction of the next Indy movie. He said that the film will follow "some precious artifact that they're all looking for," and confirmed that Indy's son Mutt, played by Shia LaBeouf in 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, will not return.

In addition, Ford has spoken about why he was returning to the role of the iconic archeologist for the fifth time. "The opportunity to work with Steven again on this character which has brought pleasure to so many," he said. "Not to mention me. It's great fun to play this character. It's great fun to work with Steven, I'm looking forward to it."

Although Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was considered a disappointment by many fans, it still grossed more than $786 million worldwide. Altogether, the series has brought in nearly $2 billion at the global box office across all four releases.